Mohamed Salah appeared to see the funny side to another goalless Premier League outing for Liverpool on Sunday.
The Egyptian lasted only 77 minutes of the Reds’ fortunate 1-0 win before deservedly being taken off by Arne Slot.
As he sat on the bench alongside Cody Gakpo – another dreadful performer on the day – Salah laughed and grinned while Liverpool tried to win the game.
Surely there’s no way back to Salah’s best from here?
A new record drought in the Premier League…
Mohamed Salah shakes Arne Slot's hand as he comes off during Liverpool's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo Creidt; Getty Images/Liverpool FC
It was not a great look for a player who had completed only 72% of his passes during the match and it royally upset many Liverpool supporters, who voiced their annoyance on social media.
Whether Salah was laughing ruefully or from disbelief at being taken off the pitch is not clear. But what is completely plain is that this is a player now dramatically on the way down from the top. If Liverpool fans did not know that before, after Forest they certainly do.
Salah’s form looks irreversible
Having failed to score at the City Ground, Salah has now gone nine Premier League matches without a goal. That is a record for the 33-year-old in the competition.
But it is not just his lack of finding the net which is the issue, a bigger problem is the fact that he does not even look remotely close to doing so.
Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo pictured on the bench during Liverpool's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
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READ MORE: Arne Slot will soon get his chance to replace Mo Salah in the Liverpool starting XI; he must take it
Salah is not even getting the basics right anymore. His pass completion is one part of the problem, with only Gakpo and Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega failing to find a teammate more often from either side on Sunday.
His lack of attacking impetus is also unforgivable right now. None of his four crosses found a Liverpool shirt, with one needlessly overhit ball in the first half arguably costing the Reds an opening goal.
Losing all of the three duels he contested was another issue for Salah and, try as he might, the veteran does not look capable of turning this around.
Change my mind Rio Ngumoha was Liverpool’s star man despite barely playing vs Forest
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rIO nGUMOHA PLAYING FOR lIVERPOOL VS nOTTINGHAM FOREST
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Salah must be dropped
If Salah really was confused and annoyed about being taken off on Sunday, then he really does need to take a look in the mirror.
His performance was one of the worst he’s served up during his nine years with the club, and it should not be simply swept under the rug.
Players can have bad days, and nobody deserves grace more than Salah for that, but this is sadly not a one-off anymore. The No. 11 was better against Brighton last week, but that game was unfortunately the outlier in what has become a desperate season.
The fact of the matter is that having Salah on the pitch is actively harming Liverpool’s chances of winning games at the moment. That may be a painful thing for many to admit, but the time has already been and gone for him to be taken out of the team.
Jeremie Frimpong should be back fit to face West Ham this weekend, and Slot must give serious consideration to playing the Dutchman in attack. Failing that, Rio Ngumoha or Federico Chiesa do not deserve to sit on the bench while Salah turns in another performance of this standard. A decision must be made, and while Mo may not accept it, he can hardly argue.
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